English 402: Technical and Professional Writing
      Instructor: Bryan Fry
      Office: Avery 371
      Office Hours: By Appointment

      Textbook Abbreviations:
      CG -
A Concise Guide to Technical Communication
      NDDB
- Non-Designer's Design Book

      This schedule may change as the course progresses. Check here often to see assignment updates, discussion topics, and more.

Week 1 May 11
Monday
Introduction to class; review of syllabus, schedule, academic honesty policy; listen to NPR on Technical Writing; The Power of Simple Words; Take Me Out to the Ballgame 
  May 12 Tuesday Introduction to Technical Communication

Before class:
1)   Read CG: Chapter 1;
2)   Complete Exercise 1, p. 12 (online) or p. 14 (book) by class time;
3)   Read Hanson on ethics in the workplace; be prepared to write about the article in class;

During class:
  Notes on Gurak and Lannon Chapter 1
  Spaghetti bowl military analysis
  NYT and PPT
  May 13
Wednesday
Unit 1: Rhetorical Approaches to Job Applications

Before class:

1) Complete OWL Skills Checklist and bring to class;
2) Locate and bring to class three (3) job ads that you could apply for after graduation;
3) Read ethical concerns in job searches to prepare for class discussion and for in-class writing;

During class:
  1) Discuss ads and Skills Checklist
  2) Discuss and write on ethical concerns
  3) Review Job Application Portfolio  format
May 14
Thursday
AML Orientation and Workshop; meet in AML; bring CG to class!

Before class:

  Read Chapter 2 in CG and article on writing a resume.

During Class:
  Job Application Prep
   
May 15
Friday
Application letter workshop; meet in AML; bring CG to class!

Before class:
1) Read CG: p. 193-200;
2) Read Munschauer;
3) Write a critique of the application letter that appears on p. 195 of CG.you will need to analyze the following job ad and use specific points from Munschauer to frame your critique; have your critique ready to hand in a beginning of class today.

During class:
1) Discuss Munschauer article and critique;
2) Workshop on Application letter (for job application letters use the OWL Example Employment Documents; for graduate school applications use the OWL resources on writing the personal statement)
Week 2 May 18
Monday
Discuss Resume Format/Application Letter Peer Review; meet in classroom

Draft 1 of Cover Letter Due (include copy of job ad)

Before class:
1) Read CG: p. 202-207;
2) Read all OWL links for Resumes and Vitas;
3) Read Format choices and select the style that will suit your application; write a brief justification in defense of your choice;
4) Complete draft 1 of Cover Letter; bring 1 job ad and one printed copy of letter to class; if you are applying to graduate or professional school complete Personal Statement; bring one copy of personal statement as well as basic information on applying to the school.

During Class
  Peer Review of Cover Letter/Personal Statement
  May 19
Tuesday

Designing with Type; meet in AML; bring NDDB to class

Draft 1 of Resume Due (one copy)

Before class:
  Read NDDB: Chapters 9-11 (Designing with Type)

During Class
  Resume draft workshop; OWL Action Verb explanation; OWL Action Verb list

  With a partner, complete the following steps for each of the four linked resumes found 
  below.Write a brief analysis for each step.

1) Analyze Examples 1, 2, 3 and 4 using the concepts of concordance, conflict, and contrast from chapter 9 of NDDB;
2) Identify the type faces used in the same examples based on the categories presented in Chapter 10 of NDDB;
3) Critique the combinations of size, weight, structure, form, and direction used in the three examples based on NDDB Chapter 11.
4) With your partner, look your resumes and critique them based on what you've learned in these Chapters and the analyses you've completed. Write a brief overview of how you will revise your resume based on what you've learned.

Links for in-class exercise: Example 1; Example 2; Example 3Example 4;

  May 20
Wednesday

Letter and Resume Revisions Due; meet in classroom

Bring job ad and copy of letter and resume

During class:
  Peer Analysis

  May 21
Thursday

Begin Unit 2: Document Redesign Project (AAER)
Meet in classroom

Before class:
  1) Read CG: Chapter 8 and 9;
  2) Complete Exercise #1 on p. 180 of CG--bring article to class with list of visuals

During class:
  1) Review Job App Portfolio format
  2) Introduce Document Redesign Project
  3) Compare visuals with a partner
  4) Analyze handout via the checklist on p. 180


Links for resume/letter revisions
 
Review parallelism and comma use

  
May 22
Friday
Discuss Usability Testing; meet in AML

Before class:
  1) Read CG: Chapter 3 (Usability);
  2) Read Jakob Nielsen web materials;

During class:
  Read usability notes  
  
Complete Usability Worksheet
Week 3 May 25
Monday
MemoriaL Day--No Class
    May 26
Tuesday
Meet in AML; bring NDDB to class

Revised drafts of Job Application materials due for final evaluation

Before class:
  1) Complete Job Application Portfolio
  2) Read NDDB: Chapters 1-6; (pp.1-86)

During class:
With your DARS partner, review the following pages in the NDDB: 32, 50, 64, and 80. Once you have done that, complete the assignment below:  
  May 27
Wednesday
Meet in AML

During class:
 
Details of AAER Project
May 28
Thursday
Meet in AML; Workshop day
   May 29
Friday
Meet in AML; Workshop day
Week 4 June 1
Monday
Meet in AML
 
Draft of AAER report due for peer review


During class:
 
peer review information

June 2
Tuesday
Meet in AML; Workshop day
 
June 3
Wednesday
Meet in Classroom

Oral presentations of AAER (attendance required); final draft of materials due when you present
; please complete a colleague evaluation for each member of your team and email it to bryanfry@wsu.edu.
  June 4
Thursday
Meet in Classroom

Oral presentations of AAER (attendance required); final draft of materials due when you present
; please complete a colleague evaluation for each member of your team and email it to bryanfry@wsu.edu.

 
June 5
Friday
Meet in Classroom

During class
  Begin Unit 3: Collaborative Repurposing Project; brainstroming
 Week 5 June 8
Monday
Meet in Classroom

Before class:

  R
ead Chapter 6 of CG; bring your field or discipline's code of ethics to class for discussion.

During class

  Ethics, Copyright and Privacy; 

June 9
Tuesday
Meet in Classrooml; Pitch Proposal Presentations (attendance required)
  June 10
Wednesday
Meet in Classroom; Pitch Proposal Presentations (attendance required)

Before class:
  Complete Pitch Proposal Written Report

During class:
  Compose teams for Research Report

June 11
Thursday
Meet in AML

During class:
  Complete Repurpose Justification.
  June 12
Friday
Meet in AML; Workshop day
 Week 6 June 15
Monday
Meet in AML; Memo writing workshop

Before class:
  Reading 1; Reading 2; CG p. 189-192

During class:
 
Parts of a Memo
  Format of a Memo
  Sample Memo
  Progress memo details
  June 16
Tuesday
Meet in AML; Workshop day

June 17 Wednesday Meet in AML; Workshop day

During class:
   Repurpose Oral Presentation Requirements

Progress Memo due by midnight
 
June 18
Thursday
Final presentations (attendance required)--final draft of repuposing project due; Please complete a colleague evaluation for each member of your team and email it to bryanfry@wsu.edu. 
  June 19
Friday
No Class
 


      Back to Syllabus